New book on kids and the paranormal

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New book on kids and the paranormal
October 27, 2010
Courtney Crowder
The Chicago Tribune

They're here!"

The line delivered by little Carol Anne in 1982's "Poltergeist" is probably the most famous on-screen interaction between child and ghoul and its just one of many movies that feature the paranormal communicating with children.

According to the new book "There's Something Under the Bed: Children's Experiences With the Paranormal" written by local author and paranormal researcher Ursula Bielski, the idea of children being able to more easily communicate with things unseen may not be fictional.

The book explores the connection between children and the paranormal and attempts to answer why it seems that younger people are more open to having experiences with unexplained phenomena. Bielski, author of five other books on the paranormal, said she has wanted to write a book on this subject since the birth of her children, who are now eight and 11.

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According to Bielski, paranormal activity is hard to document and evidence can come from hearsay or personal memories, which can change over time.

Ron Fabiani, an investigator with the Chicago paranormal detectives, said Bieksi is a credible staple in the city's paranormal circles and added that she is known to do her research before validating any paranormal theory.

"Ursula does not just rely on other people's stories, she really does her research and looks into the background of the things she writes about," Fabiani said. "She takes an investigative approach and is able to separate folklore from fact."

Bielski, who was born and raised in Chicago, said that her interest in the paranormal started at a young age.

"Before my parents moved into their house, it was known as the haunted house on the block," Bielski said, referring to her childhood home in the North Central neighborhood, which she still lives near, "But they thought that was just because it was a bit rundown. Their first night in the house they heard footsteps on the stairs, but no one was there. Actually, my earliest memory is being woken up by those footsteps."

In one chapter titled 'The Power of the Poltergeist,' Bielski describes parapsychologist William Roll's research into poltergeist phenomena, which describes objects that, in the presence of a certain person, seem to move with no catalyst. The chapter focuses on Tina Resch who came to media attention in 1984 when her foster parents reported a bout of unusual paranormal activity that seemed to be connected to her. Roll conducted an eight-year investigation into Resch, but was never able to say without a doubt that Resch herself was the source of the energy that caused the household's objects to move.

More than being scared of the dark or their closet, Bielski wants adult readers to realize children have a different consciousness, which, she said, may mean that they could be experiencing something unexplainable.

"The world that children live in is full of ghosts, demons and fairies; it's like wonderland," Bielski said. "I hope people become aware that there is a greater reality for children and that what they're saying might not be a fairy tale, it might be real."

"There's Something Under the Bed!"
By Ursula Bielski
New Page Books, $14.99, 223 pages